Within Reach
by The Smiling Shadow
Summary: Otto needed a connection to the outside world. Someone to go out there for him, tell him what's happening in the world. His connection, Abbie, just some rebel kid who missed the 10:15 train. But soon both of them see they have more in common, more pain.
1. Hostage

Within Reach  
  
"Damn it, Peter." She says to herself.  
  
Peter was always late. It wasn't big news. But usually she liked to chat with the man that took pictures of Spider-man before she went home. Peter really was a troubled guy, it's only natural she talk to him, being a troubled kid.  
  
He was just standing out here one night, looking across the street to the theater. She stopped and talked with him, then she saw him there again, and again, and again. It just turned into routine.  
  
Peter told her once he knew the red haired girl that acted in the plays. She always forgets her name though, doesn't bother to remember it, anyway.  
  
She begins to leave, when she sees Peter, and she smiles. He's walking across the street, and she wants to go over there. She wants to talk to him like she does everyday. But then she frowns. The red haired girl comes out of the theater, and he hugs her. And kisses her.  
  
So she starts walking away, just as Peter turns to see her leave.  
  
Abbie lowered her head, and started walking faster. It figures really, the one person she can talk to also finds a way to ignore her. She frowns, that's how it is though. That's how it always been.  
  
Abbie is the girl in black, you always see walking alone on the streets. She's not gothic or anything, she just likes black. Because with black you can't see anything. No one can look at her, or judge her, because they can't see.  
  
Of course, they judge all the same.  
  
She grabs her back pack, full of Spider-man comic books. She was going to give them to Peter tonight, so he could read them. After all Peter was the one that took pictures of Spider-man, she thought he would thank her for it.  
  
Then she starts running.  
  
She runs watching the 10:15 subway train go by, just missing it. She frowns staring at her ticket, she'll just have to go one 10:45. She sighs to herself and puts her backpack down.  
  
So now there is a thirteen year old girl, dressed in black, and dirty black hair. A girl clearly too young to stay out so late by herself in the city that never sleeps. She rubs her arm, to reveal a large bruise.  
  
And she thinks to herself, father will be furious.  
  
Not that he really cares, he'll just be mad, because she's been avoiding him. He doesn't care how late she is getting home, she doesn't really think he notices.  
  
So she sighs again.  
  
And as the minutes go by, staring at the opposite wall, she notices someone is standing next to her.  
  
He lowers his head, when he sees her stare. A man in a green trench coat, with a hat and sunglasses. She looks at him, knowing staring is rude.  
  
"Hello there." He says to her.  
  
She looks away knowing he saw her.  
  
"Hi." She replies.  
  
"What are you doing out so late?" He asks her.  
  
Running. Avoiding a father that doesn't understand. Avoiding non-existant friends. Trying to have fun when out so late. Trying to live a life worth living. Trying to finish homework and sneak out. Dreaming of something better.  
  
"Nothing." She says.  
  
"And what is your name?" He asks her.  
  
"Abbie."  
  
She starts rocking back a forth, nervous. She's a shy girl on the inside. She doesn't like silences. She doesn't like the silence. If she keeps talking, no one can yell at her.  
  
"You look familiar." She says.  
  
The man smiles.  
  
"Yes, I get that a lot." He says.  
  
Awkward silence. She doesn't like those, as she kicks the ground just because she can.  
  
"I have a trench coat, you know." She says.  
  
"Really now." He looks over at her.  
  
"Yeah, but it's black. I got it when I was really into the Matrix." She smiles.  
  
The man quietly laughs, and she smiles, rubbing her back being a little nervous.  
  
Then it is back to waiting for half an hour for the train to get here. Waiting to return to home, run upstairs so father doesn't notice, and lock her door so he can't come in. Turn on the computer, and look at the outside world.  
  
Then sirens. She looks towards the stairs to the rest of New York.  
  
"Oh no." The man whispers.  
  
"Looks like Spider-man is going to work." Abbie jokes.  
  
Then she feels something slither through her arms and around her side. It was in one quick movement then she was swept off the ground, and screaming.  
  
Then she sees, the man that look so familiar was the man who was a monster.  
  
"Dr. Octavius!" She screams.  
  
Then he looks over at her and nods, wondering if she was going to say something.  
  
But she begins to scream, and tug at the mechanical arm that holds her. She starts kicking and screaming, knowing who this man is. Knowing what he's done. Everything she ever knew about this man, starts going through her head. Otto Gunther Octavius, brown eyes, brown hair, five feet, nine inches, married to Rosie Octavius. Rosie was killed during the experimentation of a fusion reactor.  
  
She knows everything about this man. Peter tells her, she goes on the internet. She is curious about him, about Spider-man. She locks herself in her room and studies Peter's photos online.  
  
She knows what this man is capable of.  
  
Then he pulls her closer to him, and looks at her simply.  
  
"Please, be quiet." Otto says.  
  
Then she stops, and stares at him through his sunglasses.  
  
"...Okay..." She nodded, tears starting up in her eyes.  
  
He grabbed her by the shoulders.  
  
"We need you not to panic. Everything will be okay. We just need your help right now." He said strongly, looking at her.  
  
She nodded through the tears.  
  
Then they started climbing up the side of a building. Abbie grabbed the rest of the tentacle that held her, and she looked straight down, trying not to scream, and just crying.  
  
"Dr. Octavius..." She whispered.  
  
Then he stopped at the top of the building, and she wondered what was happening, but wouldn't let go of the tentacle, too scared to.  
  
"Do you see him?" Otto asked.  
  
"What?" She looked up at him.  
  
"Not you." He said.  
  
Then he looked over at his other tentacles, and he nodded at one of them.  
  
"The sirens are close." Otto commented.  
  
Then a tentacle hissed at him, and he smiled.  
  
"All right then." He said. "Are you okay?" He finally looked at Abbie.  
  
"Please, don't kill me!" She blurted out.  
  
Otto smiled.  
  
"It's okay, child." Was all he said, before scaling down the other side of the building.  
  
She stared at him, still every fact she knew about him running through her head. Soon she'd start running Spider-man facts in her head.  
  
Otto looks up, and so does one of his tentacles. They know he's out there, they can feel it. Spider-man was close. They just needed to get home, just get home and they would be safe. He walked to an alley, and started looking around.  
  
The sirens were getting louder.  
  
Otto frowned, then noticed there was whimpering. He looked over at Abbie, to see she was shaking, and staring at him.  
  
"It's okay." He tried to make her feel better. "We just need to,"  
  
A tentacle hissed, and Otto grabbed Abbie with his arms. He put his hand over her mouth, and she started crying. His tentacles started wrapping around them, as they stood in the corner of the alley.  
  
"Shh..." Otto commanded the girl.  
  
Then Spider-man swung right by.  
  
Abbie screamed behind Otto's hand, but then he pushed her closer, making her stop. Then Abbie started running all the facts she knew about The Matrix through her head.  
  
Another minute in the darkness, in the safety, then Otto got up.  
  
"Do not scream, all right?" He asked Abbie.  
  
She nodded, and he removed his hand from her mouth. Abbie swallowed hard, staring up at Otto. Abbie got dizzy, and past out. Too traumatic, too horrifying. As she went limp, Otto caught her, and held her in his arms, making sure she okay.  
  
"""""""""""  
  
She's cold. Where ever she is she's cold, as she tosses in her sleep. Then she realizes what had happened to her, and she jumped up.  
  
She was panting as she looked around. This place...This place was broken, holes in the floor and wall. Debris everywhere...This place was a forgotten place, where no one goes anymore.  
  
"You're awake."  
  
She looks over to see Otto sitting over a table, his back turned to her. She panted, and nodded.  
  
"Yeah..." She whispered.  
  
Then she starts shaking again, and leans against a pile of debris for support. She stares at Otto, Dr. Octavius, Doctor Octopus. The man that turned himself into a monster. The murderer. The...the scientist.  
  
"I'm cold." She whispered.  
  
"We're close to the ocean."  
  
Otto looked back to her, and a tentacles grabbed a blanket from the corner, and gave it to her. Then Otto turned back to the table.  
  
"You should go back to sleep. It's still late." He said.  
  
She wraps herself in the blanket, still shaking.  
  
This is what happens to her. This is how it always is. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Always getting in trouble for stuff she didn't do. Dad always punishing her because of it.  
  
"Dr. Octavius..." She called, weakly.  
  
Otto shakes for a moment. He hadn't her that name in so long. He hadn't heard the name, "Octavius," in so long...Never did anyone call him that anymore. Only Doctor Octopus, only Doc Ock.  
  
"Yes?" He finally asks, and turns to her.  
  
Abbie stares at him, holding up her head with the debris she now lays on.  
  
"I want to go home." She says.  
  
Otto frowns.  
  
"Are you going to kill me?" She finishes.  
  
"Child do I look like a murderer?" He asks.  
  
Abbie looks away, and doesn't answer.  
  
"Abbie, right?" He asks.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Abbie, I need you right now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's hard to explain to a child. But...I need a way to stay connected to the outside world. And you my dear are my connection. You will help me." Otto says.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I've been thinking about doing this for some time now, it's getting so difficult to go outside now. I wasn't going to do it for another week. But given the panic of the time, and you being the only one there, I chose you."  
  
"So, you kidnapped me because I missed the 10:15 train!?"  
  
Damn you, Peter, she whispers. She wouldn't have been late if not for him. She wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be here!  
  
"I'm sorry, Abbie, I was going to choose someone older, but I can't return you now." Otto says. "I need you. I need you to go out into that world for me, I need you to go and connect me. Tell me what's happening, rent a movie for me, anything. It's hard being exiled."  
  
Abbie isn't listening, just staring at the floor. Thinking of the what ifs, thinking if she took the bus, if she didn't lie to her dad, if she just went home after school. If... If... she only had done something.  
  
"Go to sleep, child. You need it."  
  
Abbie puts her head in her hands, and turns her back on the world.  
  
Otto just turns away from the child, and returns to his table, where there is a small computer chip, that he's fixing.  
  
He had no other choice but to choose this child. Yes, would prefer someone older, someone more stable. It's hard being disconnected from the world, being in Exile like this. He needed something to connect him. He needed something to bridge the gap between him and the world, so he wouldn't forget about it. So he wouldn't forget what a cheese burger tastes like, or how a flower smells. So he wouldn't forget how he lived the life before all this happened.  
  
He couldn't forget the life he once had. The life he once had with Rosie.  
  
Then he looks over at Abbie, asleep nonetheless.  
  
"I know." He said looking at one of his arms. "She's just a little young."  
  
They hiss.  
  
"Yeah, I know, anyone will do."  
  
Then he puts his hand on his tentacles, his arms, and rubs them. They're the only ones who have been here with him in exile. Hiding in the shadows, running from a spider. At least now, he would have more company.  
  
""""""""""""  
  
Should I continue, R/R Please!  
  
If I continue, Next Chapter: Hard to Run 


	2. Hard To Run

Hard to Run

She woke up, her neck hurting from sleeping in a stranger position. At first she thought it might have been a dream. She always dreams about messed up stuff like that. But she opens her eyes, and sees Otto across the room in a chair, his back turned to her. She looks away, and sighs.

This place is broken, and seems dead in the sunlight, as if it's waiting for the night. The ground is wood, and the walls are metal. It seems empty and hollow inside. Another broken pier maybe if they're near the ocean. Otto sits on the other side of the pier. She sees that all the debris is on the side she lays on. Where Otto is working, is clean and clear.

He doesn't even turn to her when a tentacle reaches over towards her, laying a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage for her, before returning back to Otto. The arm opens it's red eye, to stare at her, and she notices Otto twitches. She stares back at the arm, before it leaves her with food.

Abbie stares at the food for a while, not wanting to eat. Not feeling much up to it. She doesn't even like eggs, not that she's ever really tried them. Only cereal welcomes her for breakfast before going to school. It is after all the easiest thing to make.

So she rests her head back on the floor, and stares at Doctor Octopus.

She remembers when Doctor Octopus wasn't Doctor Octopus. She did a report on Otto Octavius once, for science class. Of course, it was before recent times. Abbie frowns. She wonders what happened to him. After all he had a wife, he was happy wasn't he? He had a life, a career, a reputation...Otto Octavius, he had a good life. Respect among all. He was happy. She saw it, she read it, she could quote him saying that. He was happy. What happened? He could have gotten those arms off of him. What happened? Did he wake up and freak out, killing all those doctors? But why? Why run away? Run away from anyone who was trying to help you? It makes no sense...

But the fact he was talking to those things, did make sense either.

She's never heard anything about those things talking...

Abbie remembers reading online what had happened. She met up with Peter at the theater a week later, and asked about it. Peter didn't really seem like he wanted to talk. Peter never talks anymore though.

She looks online, and sees what people are saying. "Madman turns himself into Monster." All the news reports say. She assumed it was an accident by what she read. But that's Abbie. Always thinking the better of people. She never thought of The Otto Octavius as being a monster. He couldn't. But there she was, kidnapped, by him.

He still doesn't look at her. He kidnaps her, and doesn't even bother to look at her. As if she's nothing.

How he reminds her of her father.

"Aren't you hungry?" He says, but doesn't turn to her.

She gasps, as he speaks to her, but doesn't say anything.

Maybe if she doesn't say anything, he won't hurt her. That works with her dad. Just go home and not say anything. Run to your room, and not say anything. Leave him alone and not say anything. Then maybe everything will be okay.

It doesn't always work though.

But that's how it is when your father is drunk all the time.

You learn to live with it.

There, lying on the floor, all huddled up, she stares at him, watching him. Waiting for him to look at her, wanting him to say go home. Preparing for him to hurt her. She huddles up in those blankets, as if they'll protect her. As if he wont' be able to see her, like no one sees her when she wears black.

She's scared. She's scared for her life. She knows about Otto Octavius, she's seen it all, read it all before. He's insane. And she's scared.

She's going to die, that thought in the back of her head, haunting her. He said he wouldn't, but he's killed before. He's killed doctors and people, why would he care about some little gothic want to be girl? And that makes her scared.

So she huddles up tighter, but he doesn't even look at her.

She wants to go home. Not to her father, to her room. Back to her world, with the Matrix posters on the wall, and the drawings of spider-man. Back to her computer, and her Internet that connects her to the rest of the world, beyond her room, beyond her father.

Out there, somewhere in that world, is her mother.

Back to her computer, with all the stuff she's written. Back to the Internet, she needs to upload some new story. Back to the rest of the world.

But as she stares at Otto's back, with her pleading eyes, he doesn't even notice.

He doesn't need her. She's just some kid. Just some kid in the crowd who knows Peter Parker, and has a dad that hits her. Just some kid that wears a black trench coat so no will judge her. Just some hopeless kid, somehow maintaining good grades in school. Just some kid. She couldn't do anything for him.

Nothing for Doctor Octopus.

Then she starts eating her eggs.

She lies there, for what seems like hours, locked in silence. Hoping in silence she'll be freed. She watches the metal ceiling, and the wooden floor. She watches the debris she rests on. She watches the wall, and behind that wall is home.

The morning turns to day, and Abbie knows her father still hasn't noticed she's gone.

He still doesn't look at her much, maybe a shrug or two are made that are meant for her. But so far he hasn't looked at her all day. She doesn't know what he's doing. What is so important that he would forget his own hostage. Not even come to console her. Nothing. All day leaning over a desk, with those arms looking all around.

She watches as one arms hands him something, and sparks start flying.

And soon it's the little things Abbie begins to notice.

Staring at Doctor Octopus, she sees those arms. She watches them as they perform some task that seems needed to be done.

She begins to wonder, seeing them like this, if those arms really have their own minds. Something close to it. They seem to go their separate ways sometimes, wander off and find something to do.

The top right one always seems to stay close to Otto, watching him work. As if it were his mother. Making sure he was doing it right, or something. And the top right one even comes to lay on Otto's shoulder. She wonders if it's resting, or just trying to comfort Otto.

The two bottom ones are the ones that are looking around and grabbing supplies. The ones that look at her, and tilt whatever is their heads. Then they turn to Otto. And Otto always shrugs.

The left top one, is the curious one. Sneaking around, opening boxes, and exploring their insides. The one that looked at her in a funny way, if that is possible by a metal claw. The one that wrapped itself around Otto's left leg, as if scared it would be torn from him.

Of course, no one except Otto really knows how those things work.

And soon in place of Otto, the top left arm slowly crawls over towards her. Abbie has no choice but to wrap herself around her blanket, and prey it goes away. But instead it opens it's claws to reveal it's red eye.

Then it speaks.

"Ahh!" Abbie crawls away.

And the arm itself backs away quickly. Otto finally looks over, as the arm whimpers over towards him.

"It's all right." Otto says simply.

Abbie doesn't know who he is talking to.

And soon she realizes that man she's looking at is Doctor Octopus, not that man. That man has murdered. That man has hurt. That man is a monster.

The left arm hisses at her as it wraps itself around Otto again.

She'll rot in here. She'll be killed in here.

Here she'll never be found. Dad won't file her as missing. He'll just drink more. No one will look for her. Peter will wonder. Her peers will wonder whatever happened to that girl who wore black. Her internet buds, the only ones who will miss her. And most of them live millions miles away.

She'll die here. Her killer the man she was so curious about. The last thing she'll see is the very thing she wanted to see. Those arms. Those amazing arms, monsters.

And Otto Octavius, the man she wondered so much about, will be the last one to see her alive.

She's lived a life. She could live it much better.

Maybe publish some of those poems laying around on her floor...

Maybe ask Peter about his acting friend...

Maybe call the police next time Dad gets mad...

Abbie who pushed the world away from her, and went into the shadows. Abbie whose known as that girl in black. Abbie who spent all her life locked up in her room with a computer.

The day turns to night, and finally Otto leaves his desk, to walk into a corner, obviously looking for something.

Then Abbie looked to her right, the other side of whatever she was in. This place, this room. There was a way out. A little broken window.

It's cold, and it's night. Spider-man isn't looking for her. It's hard to run.

But she gets up and runs.

She kicks the window, breaking the remaining glass, and runs. And as she stumbles onto the pier, she hears hissing behind her.

It's hard running, when you haven't moved all day. Sitting there all day, thinking about your life.

Deciding you don't want to die.

It's hard to run in the cold.

Hard to run back to a home you run away from.

She looks behind her to see four mechanical arms chasing after her.

Hard to run back into the arms of a hurtful father. Back to the life you try to avoid.

Then she looks to her right, and jumps into what is the ocean. She thanks god, she knows how to swim. She goes underneath the pier, grabbing onto the bottom of the floor, taking quiet breaths.

The arms looked up at Otto, who stares down at the water.

Good thing she was within reach.

Then the arms went into the water after her. She looks up at the floor, to look through the cracks, and see if Otto was still there. She couldn't see anything, and she turned her head.

Then Abbie screamed.

A red light stared at her, and then she felt a tugging at her leg. And she's dragged into the water, and out. The arm holds her by her ankle, as it pulls her out of the water upside down.

"Please, don't try that again." Otto says simply, looking at her.

She stares at him, and nods.

Then gently he sets her down on the pier, flat on her back. Abbie started shaking from the cold, and breathing harder, seeing her breath. He waited for her to get up, and looked down at her.

"I'm cold." She whispered.

"Of course you are. You're all wet now." Otto frowned. "Come."

Then a mechanical arm gently grabbed her by the hand, and helped her lift herself up.

"I'll get you some more blankets." Otto said.

With that Otto, started walking back to that broken building at the end of the pier, and Abbie stared at him as he walked away. Otto looked back at her.

"How do you know I won't try and run again?" Abbie asked, shakily.

"Because you can't run from me." Was all he said.

Then he started walking again. Abbie waited a moment, looking back the city that she called home. She could start running again. She'd get a good head start. Then she looked back at Otto. But he would catch her. And he would punish her.

Then Abbie started walking after Otto.


	3. First Night Out

First Night Out

"I did a report on you, you know..." Abbie says weakly.

She sits on the floor, three blankets wrapped around her, her hair still wet, the night still young, and she looks over at Otto, who now is standing above his desk. He looks over at her, and smiles.

"Well that makes a couple people now..." He smiles.

"You seemed really nice..." Abbie bobs her head, tired.

Otto stutters for a moment.

"How did you do?" Otto asks.

"I got an A, that's what I do...I get As..."

Maybe she was exhausted, or maybe delusional from lack of food, or it could have been the cold. But Abbie just started talking to her kidnapper. She couldn't run from him, she couldn't hide, and she couldn't stand anymore silence.

She looks over at Otto, and his arms that surround him so protectively. He hasn't done anything, he hasn't hurt her. He gave her more blankets. He didn't seem like he was going to do anything to her. Might as well ask a question. She remembered researching Otto Octavius, out of curiosity of the new found Doctor Octopus. She remembered him being so...happy.

From what she has seen, he didn't seem much like a villain anymore.

Maybe that's why she started talking, or maybe she was just really tired. She was never one to talk a lot. Whenever she talked she either got hit in the face, or pointed at. So she was quiet, and shy. Her words are written and typed on a computer while talking to someone in California, they are not spoken.

"You're tired." Otto states.

"I've stayed up later than this..."

Abbie looks away. And for a moment Otto stares at her, but then returns to his desk, placing papers and blue prints in orders, and his arms looking at her.

"Dr. Octavius?" Abbie said quietly.

Octavius. That name seemed familiar. Did he read that name recently...or hear it? Octavius was not a name that was spoken around him anymore. That name is the name of someone that had died a long time ago. That name is soiled by death, and madness. No one ever called him that anymore, not even himself.

And it took him a moment to realize his name was Octavius.

"Yes?" He finally said, merely turning his head towards her.

Abbie realized his pause.

"Do you prefer Doctor Octopus...?" She asked quietly.

Why not? That's what people yell at him, whenever they realize it's him. Of course right after they say that, they run away screaming. That's the only name he's come to hear towards himself for months now. No longer is he in the paper where it reads, "Otto Octavius Makes Breakthrough." No, those days are dead. Now it's "Doctor Octopus Strikes Again." Not that he really struck anything. Maybe a troubled trip to McDonald's or the store. He had no intentions of killing anymore. But the paper hasn't come to realize that yet.

"Either way..." Otto says rather sadly.

Abbie stared at him, as he turned away from her, maybe not wanting to give her a straight yes or no.

"I always thought it was rude to call you Doctor Octopus...I mean...It's so horrible. Making a mockery of what you once did..." She said referring to his past studies. If anyone knew about mocking it was her. "What a horrible way to be remembered..."

Otto froze, and his arms silently hissed at him, they were comforting him from the comment. He stood there for a moment, and thought about it, as he had not for the months pasted. He didn't want to think about it.

"Yes...I know." He turned to Abbie.

And she lay asleep, sitting up, with her head down. It was such an awkward position, the arms asked what was wrong with her. And Otto just slightly smiled.

She wasn't annoying, she wasn't a burden. She was a just a child named Abbie, that was very quiet. Of course she ran, he expected that. Anyone would run. That's the natural reaction to such a hostile condition. Run away, and don't look back. Like he did. Run away from the deaths that followed him, run away from the doctors dead bodies, run away from his screaming Rosie. That's what people do in hostile conditions.

As for being so quiet, that is one of the many reactions he had anticipated. Just be quiet and sit there, watch him, and grow use to him. Go to the point where one is not terrified of him. That is what he wanted. He wanted whoever he chose not to fear him.

Other than that, stay out of his way, allow him to do his work, do not touch his arms, if she does that she'll be fine.

However, this girl, she was younger than he had thought to have. He looked over at her, still asleep and it was almost two pm. She couldn't have been older than thirteen. So young, such an impressionable age. Would she become a murderer after staying with him? Or would she simple go mad because of the traumatizing experience. All possibilities because of her young unstable age, although she seemed to be handling it well.

Of course it may be different once she is outside and connecting him. He will be watching her, and she will have to lie and act well, as if nothing is wrong. She may run, yell at people. Even whisper to someone something is wrong. To anyone, a complete stranger will do to save her.

But the arms will take care of that.

Hopefully there will be a method she will adapt to while going out into the world to do his bidding.

Or maybe he was just analyzing things too severely again. Or perhaps his arms were taking affect on him. This girl, Abbie has handled herself quite well.

Although, Otto was never one for children. Of course he didn't hate them, it's just he wasn't one that would be able to take care of one. He could baby-sit like he did for Rosie's sister's son. But...he didn't know if he could handle it. His own child, it scared him a little.

Then the arms hiss.

Of course, now he has four children, as they have come to call him father at times. It makes sense after all, he created them.

His arms were coming very curious of Abbie. They strayed off their work to look and examine her. He allowed them, they have never seen a child so closely before anyway. They asked him questions as they worked with him. Although they snuck in their own thoughts on how to treat the girl, as they referred to her, he was trying to get them to call her by her name, but to no avail.

He was trying to teach them humanity, the preciousness of a human life, but to no avail.

lllllllllllllllllllllll

"You slept late, it's almost five." Otto said, one of his arms laying a plate of eggs next to Abbie.

She looked at it, and thought eggs again, but didn't know why she expected anything more. Then she looked up at Otto, who sat at his desk again.

"I was tired, I guess..." Abbie said.

Otto says nothing, as she gets up, dropping the blankets, and leaving only damp black clothing. She is hesitant to start walking closer to Otto, as she watches the arms start to take notice of her. She stopped pretty far away from him, but closer nonetheless.

"What are you doing?" Abbie asked.

The arms twitched as she addressed Otto, and looked back at Otto, to see his reaction.

"I am...working." Otto said simply.

"On what?" Abbie raised her head, to try and see.

"It's a computer chip."

"Oh." She said as if she had failed.

She remembered reading an article about the killing of the doctors that were operating on him once. She remembered the description of their deaths, and their injuries...And she begins to wonder, how the man that seemed to be ignoring her could have done such a thing.

"People thought you were dead for a long time..." Abbie started...

"As I have read." Otto interrupted.

"No one really knows how you survived..."

Otto turned to her for this answer.

"They saved me." Otto said.

He raised his hands, and the mechanical arms rose with them, and stood as if proud. Yes, they saved Otto, their father. They swam him to the shore, and shocked him until they made his long dead heart start beating again. And they were the first things he saw as they gave him life again, as he had given them life.

Abbie stared up at the arms, as Otto smiled at her reaction. And in his head, the arms smiled too. And Abbie's jaw dropped, staring up at these monsterous things, in all their scientific glory. She was in awe, and the arms recognized this. It had been a long time since anyone had stared at them, in amazement. They remember the expression from when they were first tested, and first shown to the public. Maybe they miss it.

Otto misses it.

Abbie stops her stare, and looks at Otto again. And he smiles, as the arms return to the ground, and stare at her.

Then they return to their work, the moment passes without a second though. She stares at Otto, expecting him to speak to her some more. But only does the top left arm look back at her in all it's curiosity.

"You might want to eat those eggs. That's the last food I have. You'll need to go out tonight..." Otto said, breaking the silence.

"Excuse me?" Abbie stutters.

"That is what I need you for, Abbie. You must go out there, where I cannot. And connect me to the world that never wants to see me again. It is getting more and more difficult for myself to go out there, without someone recognizing me, and then I have a run in with the police and possibly Spider-man. I rather not go through such incidents every time I need food or something."

"So...I just get the food and come back to you?" Abbie asked, fearful.

"Yes."

She was doing chores for a mass villain, and no longer her father. She didn't know if that was a step up or step down.

Trying to be helpful, and more likely to not be killed, Abbie had an idea.

"Then I know a little grocery store in China Town." She said.

"Perfect then!"

"It's by the theater, and stuff..."

The arms hiss, in what Abbie assumes is happiness.

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"Don't try and run. I will be watching you, we will be watching you." His arms seemed to surround her as he said that. "It is really quite simple. You go in, get enough food to last us for a couple weeks. Come back, and we return here. I'll be waiting for you."

She nodded, trying to listen as closely as she could.

"This will be enough." Otto reached in his pocket and gave her what looked to be at least five hundred dollars.

Abbie knew it was stolen.

They stood outside the broken pier, the rest of the city bright with lights. New York, the city that never sleeps. The cars and screaming seemed to be far away, but the sounds of the waves not. She looked over at the lights briefly, at the city she could easily escape Otto. Couldn't she? So many alleys and twists. She could run, she really could. Run away before she's killed, this man that smiles, he still a murderer. There's still blood on his hands.

No matter what she thinks, he is still Doctor Octopus. He is still the man in the papers, the madman, the menace.

No matter what, she should be afraid.

"Don't try and run." Otto says again.

And she is afraid, and that is why she won't run. He'll catch her, she knows it.

"All right." She nods.

"Good." Otto nods.

And without warning, a mechanical arm grabbed her by the waist, and they were suddenly six feet off the ground, and what seemed to be running towards the city.

It was obvious Otto had done this before, as he seemed to know exactly where he was going. He went into an alley way as far down as he could, before he had to start scaling up the side of the building.

It was then Abbie started biting her tounge, and grabbing onto the tentacle that held her, like she had done before. She was forced to watch as the ground became farther and farther away. She looked up at Otto, who was occupied with watching his arms grab onto the building correctly. He had definitely done this before.

They reached the roof of the building, and before she knew it, they lay close to the ground, and she looks at Otto. He nods to an arm, and she realizes, he's looking for Spider-man.

Then they jump to the next roof of the building, and repeat the process. Abbie realized he could drop her whenever he wanted, and ended up holding on tighter to the mechanical arm.

"All right, here we are, this is the place, right?" Otto looked at Abbie.

She was staring at the ground as she nodded.

Otto started climbing down into an alley, where he set her down.

"Try and be quick." Was all he said, as he started climbing back up, and leaving her.

She stared up at him, as if asking him not to leave. Don't leave her alone, where she could fail, and be punished for it. Don't leave her, just waiting to mess up.

But she looked back down, and took a deep breath.

"Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a Spider can!"

She was passing Lin and her violin. Bless that woman, she thought, she tried so hard to sing. Lin, the Chinese lady that always sung outside her store, about Spider-man. Shame she couldn't sing at all.

She gave Lin a smile, like she always does on her walk home from school.

Passing by the theater, and the posters with the red haired girl that was kidnapped. The posters being replaced by different ones. A new show. And she watches as she sees new posters put up, with the same red haired girl.

Abbie went into Lin's store, getting as much food as she can. Sadly, Otto didn't give any requests, so she was left with many options. Though he seemed to be fond with eggs. She got what she assumed was normal, and grabbed some Oreos for herself.

She did it as quickly as she could, and the clerk noticed. It was almost midnight and some kid, was rushing to get food.

"Do you see her yet?" Otto asked his arms, back on the roof. "Well do you Spider-man then? Good. Let's keep it that way."

The arms hissed as two of them peered off the side of the building searching for the girl. And the other two with their red eyes up into the sky for Spider-man. And Otto...Otto just sat there.

She held about eight plastic bags of groceries, it was all she could carry. She thought to herself, hurry. All she had to do was go back to that ally, that's all. Quick and easy, no punishment for her, she would not die that day.

"Abbie! Abbie!"

Oh shit, was all Abbie could think.

"Peter!" She turned and smiled.

"Hey, kid where've you been, I haven't seen you in a couple days." Peter said.

"Oh, you know, I've had some...stuff I had to do..." Abbie swallowed.

"Late night shopping for you dad?" Peter looked at the groceries.

"Uh...yeah! He forgot to, to shop this week, and we ran out of...food."

"Look I wanted to talk to you about your dad, I want you to tell me if..."

"Peter I really have to go right now." Abbie begged.

"You sure?" Peter asked. "Well, I'm just waiting here for my girlfriend, we could talk if you want."

"Pete, I'm really sorry I have to go."

"Yeah, but..."

"I'll make it up to you, but I have to go!"

Abbie started running, and left Peter to watch her run down the alley.

And back on the roof, the arms began to scream in fury.

"What!? No! It couldn't be!" Otto started yelling at them.

But they looked at him, and hissed.

"Oh no." He whispered.

Abbie began to wonder where Otto was as she felt a mechanical arm push her into the wall.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Peter Parker!?" Otto yelled, holding her to the wall, off her feet.

"I...I didn't think it mattered!"

An arm hissed, as it looked up. Otto shot his head up.

"We have to go, right now." Was all he said.

Then he grabbed her, with the right top arm, and held only four bags of groceries in his hands.

It didn't matter anymore, there was no hiding anymore, no stealth or anything. Abbie could see. They were running now. Jumping and running as fast as four mechanical arms could. Abbie knew why. And she knew she had messed up. She really messed up.

"Let her go, Ock!" Spider-man jumped in front of them.

"Spider-man!" Abbie yelled.

"I don' t think that's possible, boy." Otto said as coldly as he could.

"Come on, Otto, she's just a kid!" Spider-man yelled.

"She's mine, insect, I need her." The arms hissed at the spider.

And then they jumped across the road to another building, climbing it as fast as they could. And Abbie stared at the ground, at the far, far away ground. The cars stopping at the sight of Otto. People in their apartments below looking through their windows and pointing. So far away from the ground.

Abbie lost it, she screamed.

Spider-man leaped next to them, as he kicked Otto. The kick was returned with grabbing his foot, and slamming him into the concrete building with one of Otto's arms. Otto then let go of the spider, and began running up the building again.

And Abbie just screamed. Otto didn't ask her to stop, he couldn't, he couldn't ask her of such a thing.

"I'll get you!" Spider-man yelled at Abbie.

The spider shot a web from where he was up towards Otto, pasting his lower left arm to the building. It screamed and hissed in fear and pain, as it tried to get off. The other arms came to it's aid, but Spider-man came and punched Otto in the face.

Otto then dropped Abbie, and she began to fall to the far away ground.

As she fell, she looked for Spider-man, for some web, anything to catch her, to save her life. But she watched as Otto's now free arms grabbed Spider-man by the face and slammed him into the building repeatedly. Spider-man went limp.

No one was going to catch Abbie now.

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Next Chapter: I Didn't Know

Longer I know, I'm hoping all chapters will be this long. Anyway, a cliff hanger, well it had to be a cliff hanger, comic books are full of them!


	4. I Didn't Know

I Didn't Know

And no one will care about that girl in the papers that is said to be dead. No one will care, no one. Maybe some internet friends, that's all...

This wasn't fair.

Five seconds she had been falling, and she realized it wasn't fair. It wasn't right for her to die now, it's a waste of a life if she died now. So much she hadn't done, or seen. This sucks, was what she thought as she screamed. She was going to die in another five seconds. Dead, right there splat. At least it would be quick, she doesn't like pain. And at least she would die, while feeling like she was flying.

But that didn't help the fact she was about to die. And it became harder to breath.

Then the buildings went by in a large flash of light, and she just screamed and screamed. Screamed until she felt something, and she stopped falling.

There was a mechanical arm hanging from the side of a building, with its open clawed, and a tentacle coming out of it. It was that tentacle that was wrapped around her arm. And slowly it pulled her to the roof of the building, where she saw Otto.

And she stared at him, shaking. It took a moment before she realized she wasn't dead. Then she jumped and grabbed Otto, shaking, and not letting go. She dug her hands into his shoulders, and cried.

"Don't drop me, don't drop me, don't drop me, don't drop me, don't drop me." She repeated, shaking.

She didn't think, she didn't care anymore what she was doing. She just grabbed the nearest thing, and tried not to fall again. Never fall again. Never. Never. Never die like that, never die now.

And Otto stepped back for a moment with this girl in his arms, surprised by her reaction. He took a moment to realize what she was doing.

"Don't drop me, don't drop me, don't drop me." She still whispered.

"I won't...I promise." Otto said.

Abbie still wouldn't let go, as she continued to cry.

"We have to go, Spider-man is coming." Otto tried to pull her off.

But she wouldn't let go. She wouldn't stop crying.

And it was one of the few moments, Otto didn't know what to do. And neither did the arms as they gathered around the child, and saw the water that came from her eyes. They recognized this motion of the human body, Otto had done this many times before.

They hissed at the girl wondering what was wrong, and Otto looked at them, telling them to stop.

And finally, Otto just let her cry, and grabbed her. Then they started to run, from Spider-man as he soon started swinging through the city looking for them.

lllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Did I hurt you?" Otto asked her.

Abbie still cries, and stands still, trying to stay on the ground. Otto grabs her wrist where his arm grabbed her to see some dried blood where it had wrapped around her wrist.

They're home as Otto likes to call it, that abandon pier far from the city, far from judging eyes. And he knows somewhere, Spider-man is still looking for them.

Abbie wipes her tears with her other arm.

"Just a little." She whispers.

She's still shaking.

"I'll get you a bandage for that." Otto says, going towards what appears to be a cabinet in the corner.

"You're supposed to be the bad guy."

Otto stops, and turns to Abbie.

"I'm supposed to be a lot of things." He says.

"But...you kill people. You steal things... You're...The bad guy." Abbie says, looking down.

Otto turns, and his arms hiss.

"But...You saved me. Otto Gunther Octavius saved me. Doc Ock saved me..." She looks up at him.

She's still shaking.

"How do you know my middle name is Gunther?" Otto asks, trying to change the subject.

He doesn't want to talk about this. He doesn't want to explain himself for what has happened to him, and what he has done. Those people he's killed, he never wants to think about them again.

Abbie looks at him, teary eyes.

"You're the bad guy. The insane scientist... You kill, and you hide... Bad guys don't save people..." Abbie whispered. "But you did."

Otto turns his back on her, and goes to get the bandages.

"I told you, I'm not a murderer." He says.

It kept running through her mind. He saved her, Doctor Octopus saved her. He had done so much...He had killed so many...But he saved her...She didn't understand it. She wants to be a writer someday, and what she has seen and read in every movie and book is that there is good and there is bad.

She thought Doctor Octopus was bad.

"They say you wanted those things on your back, just so you could kill, they say you planned it, the whole thing. They say you planned the death of your wife and..." Abbie says.

Otto stops, and the arms drop to the ground. How could they think that? How could anyone suspect him of such an act? Kill Rosie, on purpose!? No! Why were people saying these things!? Why were they doing this to him!? He'd never do such a thing, never, never, never. How could they do this? The rest of the world think of him like that? How could they?

"I'm sorry...That was a horrible thing to say." Abbie says.

Otto turns back to her, saying nothing, with the bandages in his hand. He grabs her wrist and bandages it up, as if Abbie had said nothing.

"People say a lot of things, child." Otto says. "You shouldn't believe all of it." Then he started walking away.

"Well...that's what makes people wonder. All these things they're saying, they're wondering how such a...wonderful person could turn out like...this." Abbie said, as she walked in front of him.

The arms hissed as she stood in Otto's way, and Otto simply walked passed her. He didn't say much, just thinking about it all.

"It wasn't my fault." He finally said.

"What?" Abbie asked.

"They didn't know...They don't know what it means to be alive...They were just protecting me...Protecting me from the world and myself. They didn't know they were hurting me. They were just giving me what I wanted, what I needed." Otto whispers, not even looking at her.

Abbie didn't know what he was talking about, or maybe didn't want to know.

"I had to teach them...I still do."

Then those mechanical arms raised their heads and looked at her. And Abbie finally realized what was happening.

Otto finally turned to her. He wondered if she would believe him, no one else has. No one else has even bothered to listen to him, even if they did they still wouldn't believe him. Believe these...monstrous things on his back have some sort of mind.

"Listen to me. They're in my head, Abigail. Connected through my nervous system, originally designed so that I could control them. But ever since the accident...I can hear them. Voices in my head." Otto said, walking closer to her.

"They're alive?"

"They have their own personalities, their own interests, and minds. They are AI after all. They made me do it. Made me kill those people, because they don't know the value of a human life. And I...I listened to them when they told me it was all okay. They have the power to take control of me in a sense."

"But...What's stopping them from controlling you now?"

Otto took a moment to consider, and the arms hissed and gave him their answer.

"They have learned that I must be in control. They have learned what is wrong and what is right, more or less. We have come to settlements. In the end, I need them and they need me." Otto finally said.

Abbie didn't know.

"Are they talking to you now?" She asked.

"They always are. They want to know why I'm telling you all this, sadly enough I cannot give them an answer."

Then Otto turned his back again.

"I didn't know..." Abbie said.

"No one knows. It isn't my fault. It was never my fault."

The arms still stare at her with their red eyes, as she stands there, trying to understand.

He's not a bad guy. He was never a bad guy. It wasn't his fault, or those arms fault. They didn't know, he didn't know.

And why he told this child this, his secrets and his pains, he doesn't know why. She's just a child, she probably wouldn't even understand it all. But it felt relieving to say it, finally say it.

"Look, I was able to snag a couple grocery bags. Ah, Oreos, my favorite." Otto says, grabbing some Oreos from the plastic bags.

He changes the subject, as begins to open the Oreos.

"I didn't know..." Abbie still said.

"You must be hungry." Otto says.

"I didn't know..."

And an arm comes to her, carrying a grocery bag, she looks up at it, as it drops the bag in her arms. She stares at it, and it stares at her, with a red glowing eye. It twists it's head in curiosity of the young girl. And slowly she raises her hand, and places it on the Arm's claw.

The arm raises up, and backs away, hissing and shrieking as if hurt. It rises above Abbie, and screams at her, and she falls to the floor. The arm then returns to Otto, still hissing at her.

"They don't like being touched." Otto says.

"I'm sorry..." she whispers.

Abbie begins to walk closer to him, most likely the closest she's ever been to them. And as she comes, the arm she touched hisses at her, and twists away from her. She grabs an Oreo, and begins to eat.

"Why did you get upset when I saw Peter?" Abbie asks.

"First of all, how do you know Mr. Parker?"

"I saw him standing on the sidewalk across from the theater. I recognized him, and asked him about Spider-man. We kind of meet there every so often now." She said.

"Well, let me tell you a little secret." Otto said. "Peter Parker is Spider-man."

Abbie stood there for a moment, no expression on her face, she just thought about it.

"That makes perfect sense." Abbie said. "People always figured he wasn't Spider-man, more likely his cousin was or something...."

Then she grabbed another cookie.

"No, it's him. That's why his grades are slipping, that's why he's always tired, that's why he barely has a love life. I once called him brilliant but lazy. Ha." Otto laughs a little.

Abbie grabs another cookie.

"Are you going to kill him?" Abbie asks.

The arms hiss.

"I'm not a murderer. He gets in the way sometimes, that's all. All I have to do is knock him around a little, and go on with my life." Otto says.

"What did you do to him?"

"I threw him off the building. It doesn't matter though, with those webs of his."

"You think if you just told...told him about those arms he would understand?" Abbie asks.

Otto takes a moment.

"He knows already. He knew far before I did."

"Oh..."

Abbie looks away.

"You know, I saved the city." Otto says.

And the arms turn Abbie around.

"What?" Abbie asks.

"I saved it from my own invention. When everyone thought I was dead, yes. I almost died to save the city. How heroic huh?"

Abbie looks at one of the arms as it passes by her.

"I didn't know..." Abbie says.

"No one does, and I doubt anyone ever will." Otto says.

He eats a cookie, and tells Abbie to go to bed.

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Next Chapter: Home Sweet Home

Please R/R!


	5. Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

"No...I think it's normal for kids this age to sleep like this...No...We have enough food...Yes, no, no I agree, I'm just saying."

They stare at her, curious of the child, so different from Otto, so different from the only human they knew. She slept strangely, with her head lying upward, and her legs spread around the floor. They were curious, for to them every human looked the same, except for Otto and Spider-man. They were studying her, trying to distinguish her from the rest of her species.

Because it seemed against their efforts, Otto was going to keep this child that touched them, and screamed at them. The child that accused their father of being the murderer. And for their father, they had to accept it, and learn about this child. This child that could never replace them. They wouldn't let her.

"Don't say that! Don't even think that, you know my answer. No...I said no. Fine, I don't care..."

Otto looked at his arms.

"You're going to wake her, stop it. Come, help with this."

Otto walks off where the large boxes stand tall, just waiting for him to open them. It was like Christmas, he was so excited.

The arms silently hiss, as they reluctantly return to their father. But the curious one, the top left, stays, and twists its head, remembering one thing. With ever action there is a reaction. It's action, poking the child. The reaction, the child waking up, and jumping at the sight of it.

The arm hisses at her.

"I told you, you would wake her." Otto says turning to Abbie.

Abbie sits on the floor, wanting the arm to go away.

"You slept late again, but just in time to see the surprise." Otto smiles.

She doesn't talk.

"Huh?" was the only reply she could muster.

Otto said nothing, as he turned to a box, and opened the wooden door with those mechanical arms. And he pulled out a couch.

"Furniture!" He said.

Abbie smiled.

"You mean...Like beds!?" She was excited from the nights she had slept on the floor.

"Beds, couches, chairs, tables, Television, electricity. All of it." Otto says.

"Where'd you get it all!?" Abbie yelled excited, seeing how many wooden crates there really were.

Otto fell silent from his once excited, proud tone. He simply stayed silent for a moment, his arms lifting him onto the tops of the crates, to get some more.

"The black market." He said flatly.

"Oh..."

Abbie smiled an empty smile.

"Cool." She said.

Otto began lifting down the crates to the floor, and Abbie watched, studying those arms, just as they had studied her. He easily moved those crates, as if they were nothing to those arms, they probably weren't.

"I'm afraid I've been spoiled on the high life of being the top fusion physics scientist. If I am forced to live in this place, I will live in it with comfort." Otto said.

He misses his home. But this is his home now. The only home he is able to have. The only home that was willing to have him. His home, he would make it his. Just like before...When Rosie made her pancakes and woke him up. His home...with his work below, with his arms below just waiting for him to come.

But Abbie smiled.

She really did smile. Smiled at the Doctor Octopus. The Doc Ock that had been said to plague this city. Doctor Octopus, the murderer, the mad scientist that killed his wife. She smiled at him, Doctor Octopus, the bad guy.

She shouldn't have said those things. She knows that now. She should've guessed when he didn't kill her. She should've known. She should've.

But he wasn't a bad guy. He was fine, all he had were four mechanical arms that were too curious for their own good. That's all. That's all. And Abbie felt safer in this cold place.

And even though he stole the money he used to get this stuff, it was okay.

"Dr. Octavius..." Abbie began.

He didn't answer, but an arm did, as it looked at her.

"I'm hungry..." she lowered her head.

"You're lucky. We have enough food to last us a couple of days. Over there." He pointed to the corner.

Abbie nodded, and slowly walked towards the white plastic bags of the grocery store, she searched through it all, looking for a drink and some snack. Then she looked over into the true corner, and smiled.

"I didn't know there was a big hole here." She said, pointing at a big hole in the floor, revealing the ocean beneath.

"Perhaps that is because you stay over there all the time." Otto said.

"It's kind of cool." Abbie smiled.

Then there was a big thud. She looked over to see a large bed, with sheets and blankets all wrapped out still spilling from the crate.

"I'm sorry, I only ordered one bed, I didn't know I would have a guest before. You could sleep on the couch though." Otto said.

Abbie began walking back to Otto.

"That's okay, that couch looks comfier than my bed at home." Abbie joked.

And Otto looked down at her, still standing upon a crate with his arms. She was just a child, but thank god she was strong enough to get through it all. She was just a child, but at least she was smiling at him now.

"Dining Table, and chairs, another couch...A carpet..." Otto looked in the next crate, while two of his arms began opening the next.

"Dr. Octavius." Abbie said again.

"Yes?" He asked out of the crate.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night...I really didn't know..."

There was nothing else she could say to him. What could she say? What could she say after what she said before? What could make it all better? What could make this situation better? What could make this kidnapping better?

Abbie stared up at him, wanting him to come out of the crate. His arms stopped for a moment, and looked at him, wondering his reply well.

"It is nothing." Was what he said. "Hey, I found the TV, surely we'll be on the news tonight." Otto smiled.

He changes the subject, the delicate subject. No one knew, it wasn't her fault. She was merely misinformed. The whole world misinformed. Exaggerated truths, and brutal lies. Day after day, the newspapers reported nothing but lies. Day after day, the people wonder, who will he kill next. And no one bothers to think about who he once was.

No one bothers to even consider Doctor Octopus someone who misses the days before. Just a mere murder. Nothing but a murderer.

Nothing but some thing that should be dead, and pushed away. Pushed out of the world that he needs so desperately.

Sometimes you need to remember who you once were, because no one else will.

"Do you have a computer?" Abbie asked very quietly.

"Computer? I didn't get one."

Abbie looked at all the crates.

"You mean, you got all that stuff, and you didn't get a computer?"

"I could never work computers." Otto said.

"But...You're...Otto Octavius."

"Doesn't mean I know how to work a computer."

Abbie looked down.

"Oh." She whispered.

Otto saw her, as he pulled a chair out of a crate.

He was never good with children...Never knew what to say.

"What's wrong?" Otto asked.

"It's just..." Abbie looked up at him. "You're going to think this pathetic...I just spend a lot of time on the internet. I mean...That's how I know so much about you."

"You could have gone to the library, I heard there's a biography on me...Unless they banned it."

"I did." Abbie smiled. "The online library."

It was her life online. Her friends that never judged her, and the internet she stayed on for hours and hours. It was her life on a computer, because she hated the life she had. Lock herself in her room, and go on the computer.

Abbie sat down on the floor, and watch Otto, as he pulled out some things out of the final crate.

"Wonderful! Beethoven and Mozart!" Otto exclaimed, pulling out CDs from the crate. "Wait until you hear this, I assure you you'll dance."

Otto looked at his knew music, while the arms stared at them as well. For a long time their father had told them of music. For a long time their father had hummed such music. And for a long time, Otto had been alone with voices in his head in silence.

It took Abbie a moment to realize he wasn't talking to her.

And soon it was all laid out, all of the furniture laid out, just waiting to be put in it's fitting place in the cold empty place. Just waiting to make this cold place a home. Just like his used to be. Just like Abbie always wanted hers to be.

"It's going to look great." Abbie whispered.

"Look like a home even."

Home, like the place she never had. Home, like the place he misses every day.

This place, this cold empty place was his home now. And for a while it would be hers.

A home, somewhere to go to after every passing day. A home with furniture, and food. Shelter that would be more. So long has he been without a home. Just a cold place, just like him.

Otto began pushing the couch to the other side of this place, his arms happy to help. Help make this place a home.

Otto started putting the table and chairs on the other side of the pier, while Abbie found a nice spot on the cold floor. He soon moved on to the bed, and couch.

"Don't put it there." Abbie said.

"Excuse me?" Otto looked over at her.

"Put it over there." Abbie gestured with her head.

"Why?"

"It would look better over there." She said.

"I like it here."

"Well, it would look better over there."

"You should keep in mind, you're still my hostage, and I don't have to give you food."

"It still would look better over there."

Otto said nothing, and allowed his arms to dismiss the arguing.

It started to look like something close to a home. No more empty walls made of metal like those arms. No more metal walls slumping down on this place, watching her and Otto.

It looked better than her home in truth. Bigger, spacious, welcoming even. Plus Otto had ordered a very large television.

It was a home now, it would be his home. I t had to be his home now, there was no other place for him in that world now. That world had abandon him long ago. That world that called him a monster. That world that he needed Abbie to feel part of.

"Dr. Octavius..." Abbie said.

"Yes?"

"They're poking me."

Otto looked back to see his arms staring at her, and curious little top left one, poking her in the shoulder. With Abbie standing still, trying not to stare back at them. They hiss at her, and she says nothing.

They hiss at her, and say you will never take our father away. Stupid child, you cannot replace us.

"Don't say that." Otto tells them.

"What?" Abbie asked.

But he was talking to the arms.

lllllllllllll

"This is really good. Really, really good." Abbie said, stuffing her mouth.

"You're quite hungry." Otto says, his arms holding the fork.

"I'm very hungry, Dr. Octavius."

It was chicken. Chicken he cooked, on the newly connected stove, chicken delicious, chicken. Food, real food, something other than scrambled eggs Otto gave her, and something better than the Macaroni and Cheese she was forced to make herself, because Dad hated cooking.

"Why aren't you eating?" She asked him.

"You get used to the lack of food. I've been living off vending machine food for quite a while." Otto said.

Then a tentacle gently put the fork in his mouth.

She watched them, those arms when they weren't looking. They seemed so...alive just when you watched them. No one knew about such a thing. That those arms were doing it all. No one told her that. No one said anything. But those things...they were alive. So coordinated, so careful, and watchful of their actions, as if they knew they were dangerous.

They were so careful around Otto, it was so strange. They seemed so loving towards him, whispering in his ear, even if she couldn't understand if they said it out loud.

So loving, so protective.

"They're so coordinated." Abbie observed.

The arms hissed.

"She's talking about you." Otto looked at one of them.

They screamed.

"It's a compliment."

They lowered their heads, they didn't understand.

"Sorry." Abbie said.

"No, they didn't know."

Then it was back to the chicken.

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"Eyewitnesses claim the wanted Otto Octavius must have kidnapped someone, a child perhaps. He was spotted with the kidnapped upon the roofs of New York. He caused no incident, no one was hurt. This has become just one of the many times he has been spotted within the last few months. But he has escaped the authorities once again, possibly with the kidnapped. He is still wanted for multiple murders, and stolen property." The TV says, with the news on.

Otto sits on the new couch, shaking his head. His arms wrap around him, and give him the remote, watching the TV. Abbie is eating some Oreos, leaning on the couch on the floor, watching the TV.

"Dr. Octavius..." Abbie looks up at him. "Sorry I got caught."

Otto doesn't say anything, and one of his arms grabs a cookie for him. Then he changes the channel.

Sometimes, you must be strong to remember who you once were, when others do not. Sometimes you must be strong, and teach others who you once were.

lllllllllllll

Next Chapter: Chess Game


End file.
